Maey phillips



(No Model.)

Patented Jan. 19, 1886.

I ss a Unrra dramas varnnr tries.

MARY PHILLIPS, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO CHARLES C. CARPENTER, OE SAME PLACE.

BOSOlVI-FORM.

'IEICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.33tf721, dated January 19, 1886.

Application filed September 19, 1885. Serial No. 177,528. (No model.)

To all 2071 0122, it may concern:

Be it known that I, MARY PHILLIPs, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Bosom-Pads; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked thereon ,which form a partof this specification.

My invention relates to bosom-forms or breast-pads; and the novelty consists in the construction, arrangement, and adaptation of parts, as will be more fully hereinafter set forth, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

I have discovered a material and method of construction which produces an article closely resembling in elasticity, flexibility, and deli cacy to the touch the natural bust. I employ a woven grass having grass both for the warp and woof, each blade of which has a peculiarly-glazed surface. Each blade is a tube, and at any period during the manufacture of the cloth this tube is flattened, producing in the finished cloth two flat thicknesses to each strand. The grass,when dried, is very tough, and the exteriorglazing, which is a natural feature, allows each blade or-strand to turn upon its neighbors with very little friction. Upon this latter feature and upon the additional features that each strand is of two thicknesses-the inner one of which is shortened or compressed endwise by the act of forming the cloth into a concave, and that the edges only are cemented, whereby the body of the pad is left free to move each strand upon the other, and the edges are more securely held than is possible by stitchingl rely for the peculiar advantages which accrue to my device. The grass mentioned is indigenous to China and Japan, and the woven cloth which I am now using in carrying out my invention comes to this country as wrappers for straw braid, tea-boxes, &c. I compress a section of the cloth between molds to obtain the desired form or convexity and secure the cut ends of the strands close to the mold by cement, the object being to hold the end firmly in place,

and thus insure permanently the form which was given by the mold. These forms, by a proper lining diaphragm and covering secured together in pairs, constitute a very usefnl, ornamental, and durable device for this purpose.

The invention is illustrated in the accoinpanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved pads partly broken away to show internal construction. Fig. 2 is an edge View, partly in section and partly in elevation. Fig; 3 is a plan of the fabric. View showing the manner of shaping and forming the fabric. I

Referring to the drawings, A designates the woven'grass cloth, each blade or strand of which is a flattened tube, as seen at a. In molds D and D, I press sections of this cloth, as seen in Fig. 4, and then sever the cloth close to the mold. Before this section of the cloth is released from the mold I secure the ends of the strands a against independent movement by cement b. It will be understood that the action of the molds serves to shorten or compress the sides ofthe strands which are on the concave side, and to apply a tension to those sides which are on the convex portion. As the ends of the blades are held firmly against movement, it follows that the material will present a soft, very delicate, yet elastic and flexible surface. I find that it is exceedingly durable. they are properly bound and covered by a lacing or loose covering, 0. The ordinary loose lining or diaphragm, G, and lacing-cords D complete the structure. When the ends of Fig. 4: is a sectional Each form is cut with a lip, b, and 8 5 the strands a are held, and the desired form has been given, pressure upon any point is accommodated over the entire area of the fabric A by the freedom with which the glazed strands move npon'eaeh other, and when the pressure is released the spring inherent in the 9 5 touch, the material is tough and durable, and 10k will not break.

I am aware that woven straw or matting has been before used, the same being secured in concavo-convex form to quilted pads by stitching. In such construction, however, some of the strands are left loose at the edges,and they become useless.

In my device I form the fabric into co'ncav0-convex forms by molds and thoroughly cement the edges, so as to hold each strand to its place, and maintain the form after it leaves the molds. Being cemented only at the edges, the body of the pad is left free to move each strand upon the next. This provides the soft flexibility desired,and insures that each strand will resume a normal position when pressure is removed.

What I claim as new is- 1. In breast-pads, a concavo-convex form composed of woven blades of grass having glazed surfaces, the edges of the form being treated with cement to hold the strands in 20 MARY PHILLIPS.

Witnesses:

S. STEINHEIMER, J. B. N ONES. 

